Container and article holding cap



Sept. 19, 1967 J. THRUSH CONTAINER AND ARTICLE HOLDING CAP Filed Dec. 9, 1965 n ysmoR. J LLOYD Awash United States Patent 3,342,363 CONTAINER AND ARTICLE HOLDING CAP James Lloyd Thrush, Lancaster, Ohio, assignor to Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Lancaster, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 512,765 14 Claims. (Cl. 215-43) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container and closure cap having a cover portion provided with a socket for receiving an article such as a candle. 1

must either be built up or must be shaved in order for candle to fit the bottle mouth properly. In addition, the resulting design is sometimes not as neat in appearance as the user would desire.

The present invention avoids these drawbacks and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved decorative article holder.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved closure cap which has means for receiving a decorative article such as a candle.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved closure cap which has means whereby a candle'or some other decorative article may be easily placed thereon.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder for a decorative article which permits ditferent candles or other decorative articles to be used with the same holder.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved closure cap which has means therein for accommodating different size candles or other decorative articles.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not-referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention showing a container having a closure cap with a candle therein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the container and closure cap shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the closure cap shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the closure cap shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention in which the closure cap is adapted to receive candles of different sizes.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the closure cap shown in FIG. 5.

3,342,363 Patented Sept. 19, 1967 FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a still further embodiment of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and particularly to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the present invention comprises a container 1 which may be made of glass, or some other suitable material, and which, for convenience of illustration, may be an ordinary salt shaker.

The container 1 has a bottom portion 2, side walls 3 and an upstanding neck portion 4 which is provided with a finish 5 and a mouth 6. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the finish 5 is in the form of a continuous thread. However, it will be understood that other types of finish may also be used, if desired.

A closure cap 10 is adapted to be applied to the finish 5 of the container and has an opening 11 at the lower end formed by the skirt portion 18 which is provided with an internal thread 12 adapted to cooperate with the thread 5 in the neck of the container 1.

The upper end of the closure cap 10 is provided with a socket 13 which is adapted to receive the lower end 14 of a candle 15 or any other suitable decorative article. The socket 13 has downwardly tapered side walls in order to receive the tapered lower end portion 14 of the candle 15. The socket 13 is provided with retaining ribs 16 to hold the candle 15 securely in place.

While the drawings illustrate a candle 15 in which the lower end 14 is spaced inwardly from the side walls of the candle to form a shoulder 17 it will be understood that the present invention may also be used with a candle in which the tapered portion 14 is flush and coextensive with the side Walls of the candle 15.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown inFIGS. 1 through 4, the closure cap is shown as being substantially solid and may be made of any suitable material such as a plastic. For decorative purposes the cap 10 may be made in any desired color and may be tapered .as shown in the drawings. It will of course be understood that it is within the scope of the present invention for the closure cap to have any desired configuration.

The container 1 may be made of colored glass or other suitable material or it may be transparent in which event it may be filled with colored water or colored sand to decorative purposes. 7

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a container 20 having a threaded finish 21 is illustrated to receive a closure cap 22 made of a solid material and having an opening 23 at the lower end formed by skirt 19 provided with threads 24 in a manner similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4.

The closure cap 22 is provided with a candle holding socket 25 at its upper end. The socket 25 has a plurality of candle holding levels 26, 27 and 28 each of which communicate with each other in pyramid fashion and adapted to receive candles of different diameters. Thus .a large diameter candle would fit in the uppermost level 26 of the opening, a candle of medium sizediameter would fit in the intermediate level 27 and a candle of small diameter would fit in the lowermost level 28. Hence, the closure cap is easily adaptable to accommodate candles of different sizes.

In order to hold the candle in place, each of the levels 26, 27 and 28 are provided with a plurality of holding ribs 29 extending inwardly which dig into the wax of a candle to hold the candle upright. Since each level 26, 27 and 28 is of a different diameter and each is provided with holding ribs 29, the candle holder of the present invention may accommodate a larger diameter variation of candles which makes the candle holder more flexible.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment in which the closure cap 30 is made of a thin material, such as metal, and is provided with a cover portion 31 and a skirt portion 32. The closure cap 30 has lugs 33 at the lower end of the skirt 32 or some other suitable means, to permit the cap to be applied to a container and held in place. The cover portion 31 of the closure cap 30 has a socket 34 therein adapted to hold a candle.

Referring to FIG. 8 of the drawings which shows another embodiment of the present invention the closure cap 40 is made of a suitable metal and has a cover portion 41 and a skirt portion 42 provided with lugs 43 to permit it to be applied to the finish 45 of a container 44. The cover portion 40 has a candle holding socket 46 provided with three levels 47, 48 and 49 of different sizes in order to permit the cavity 46 to hold candles of dilferent' sizes.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved closure cap which is adapted to accommodate candles of different sizes to form an attractive decoration. The overall shape of the closure cap may vary according to design requirements so that any attractive arrangement may be used. The containers may be colored or transparent in which event they may be filled with colored sand, liquid or some other substance in order to give the most desired appearance.

The closure cap of the present invention may be sold as a part of a sealed package or if desired it may be sold separately as a premium item to be applied to the container during use and after the contents of the container have been exhausted.

It will be understood that although the drawings show a closure cap in which a candle is to be held therein or any other suitable decoration. It will further be understood that whenever the application herein refers to a candle it is intended to include not only the candles but any other suitable article.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A closure cap comprising a cover portion and a skirt portion including means associated with said skirt portion for applying the closure cap to a container, an article-receiving socket in said cover portion adapted to permit a decorated article to be mounted therein, said socket having a plurality of communicating levels of different diameters adapted to receive articles of different sizes, and each of said levels being provided with article holding ribs therein.

2. A package comprising a cover portion and a skirt portion including means associated with said skirt portion for applying the closure cap to a container, an articlereceiving socket in said cover portion adapted to permit a decorated article to be mounted therein, said article-receiving socket having a plurality of communicating levels of different diameters adapted to receive articles of different sizes, and each of said levels being provided with article holding ribs therein.

3. A closure cap comprising a cover portion and skirt portion integral with said cover portion and forming a corner therewith, said skirt portion having a lower edge,

means associated with said skirt portion for applying said closure cap to a container, an article-receiving socket in said cover portion adapted to permit a decorative article to be mounted therein, said socket having a base and upstanding side walls defining an open mouth at its upper end, the socket extending below the level of said cover portion for substantially its entire length, the base of said socket being above the level of the lower edge of said skirt portion and the area of the cover portion between said mouth and said corner portion being planar.

4. A closure cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein said articlereceiving socket is provided with article holding ribs therein.

5. A closure cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interior of said closure cap is solid.

6. A closure cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interior of said closure cap is hollow.

7. A closure cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein said socket has a plurality of communicating levels of different diameters adapted to receive articles of different sizes.

8. A closure cap as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said levels are provided with article holding ribs therein.

9. A package comprising a container, a closure cap comprising a cover portion and skirt portion integral with said cover portion and forming a corner therewith, said skirt portion having a lower edge, means associated with said skirt portion for applying said closure cap to said container, an article-receiving socket in said cover portion adapted to permit a decorative article to be mounted therein, said socket having a base and upstanding side walls defining an open mouth at its upper end, the socket extending below the level of said cover portion for substantially its entire length, the base of said socket being above the level of the lower edge of said skirt portion and the area of the cover portion between said mouth and said corner portion being planar.

10. A package as claimed in claim 9, wherein said article-receiving socket is provided with article holding ribs therein.

11. A package as claimed in claim 9, wherein the interior of said closure cap is solid.

12. A closure cap as claimed in claim 9, wherein the interior of said closure cap is hollow.

13. A package as claimed in claim 9, wherein said socket has a plurality of communicating levels of ditferent diameters adapted to receive articles of difierent sizes.

14. A package as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said levels are provided with article holding ribs therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 893,469 7/ 1908 Essmuller 21S--38 2,076,457 4/1937 Genone 2l543 X 2,231,112 2/1941 Conner 215-43 X 2,393,767 1/ 1946 Gould 67-23 2,406,777 9/ 1946 Koretzky 6723 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,327,731 4/ 1963 France.

334,057 -8/ 1930 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DONALD F. NORTON, Examiner. 

9. A PACKAGE COMPRISING A CONTAINER, A CLOSURE CAP COMPRISING A COVER PORTION AND SKIRT PORTION INTEGRAL WITH SAID COVER PORTION AND FORMING A CORNER THEREWITH, SAID SKIRT PORTION HAVING A LOWER EDGE, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SKIRT PORTION FOR APPLYING SAID CLOSURE CAP TO SAID CONTAINER, AN ARTICLE-RECEIVING SOCKET IN SAID COVER PORTION ADAPTED TO PERMIT A DECORATIVE ARTICLE TO BE MOUNTED THEREIN, SAID SOCKET HAVING A BASE AND UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS DEFINING AN OPEN MOUTH AT ITS UPPER END, THE SOCKET EXTENDING BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID COVER PORTION FOR SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, THE BASE OF SAID SOCKET BEING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID SKIRT PORTION AND THE AREA OF THE COVER PORTION BETWEEN SAID MOUTH AND SAID CORNER PORTION BEING PLANAR. 